Taupo's Hydro-Electric Power Scheme

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 1, 16 January 1952, Page 1

Taupo's Hydro-Electric Power Scheme

It will be recalled that after further exploration in the vicinity, a more suitable site for headworks was discovered higher up in the watershed of the Hinemaiaia Stream, and the site originally decided upon was abandoned. This was explained to a public meeting at which the then Chairman of the Town Board (Dr. Armstrong), and the Engineer-in-charge (Mr Mandeno), outlined the position at that date. The meeting was largely attended, and the questions put by various speakers revealed keen public interest, and a somewhat critical attitude on the part of some of the speakers.

At this juncture it may be of service and a matter of record, to recall certain aspects of the history of the scheme. In dealing with it the Board faced, shortly speaking, certain questions: 1. — Should Taupo be linked up with the National hydro-electrie system ? 2. — Should it have a power scheme developed from the Huka Fnlls with the Government more or less actively interested ? 3. — Should it have a scheme of its own, independent of the National system ? As to the first of these: The answer was that the existing station on the power available from the National system, both at present and for a long time to corne made it extremely unlikely that Taupo could be served with an adequate supply of current from that source. No. 2, the Huka Falls' proposition, was ruled out entirely by the attitude adopted by the Government of the day, which was based on the policy that the whole of the Waikato River from Taupo to the sea must be reserved for the National hydro-electric system. This left No. 3 as the remaining and only solution, and it was this consideration that led to the adoption of the present scheme for an independent elec-

tricity supply scheme to serve the needs of the Taupo area. Since this scheme was launched, however, public interest has been aroused by the exploratory work now being carried out by Government engineers and scientists in the Wairakei area to test the possibilities of using the steam in the thermal region for the generating of electricity. The cost of this research is very considerable, but it will have been justified if positive results accrue. So far the indications have been encouraging enough to warrant the experimental work being carried a stage further, and Government engineers have been despatched to Italy to study technological problems involved in harnessing the steam to the power plant. In the light oi this new development the question has been raised whether the possibility of obtaining electric power for Taupo from the geo-thermal station is tangible enough to justify reconsideration of oui own situation. The answer appears to be that though the indications are encouraging, the possibility is too nebulous at the present stage to justify positive assuranees that adequate power supply for Taupo from this source could be relied upon. S'o what ?

As we all know, Taupo is committed to a very large expenditure of loan money for the present scheme. The regional estimate was £28,000, and this has been increased by a substantial amount as the result of increased costs in labour and materials — circumstanees which could not have been foreseen when the orginal estimates were framed. Public undertakings under present world conditions are very vulnerable to the repercussions from these conditions, and the Taupo scheme is no exception. The facts have to be faced. The policy to be pursued in the present circumstances is to get the job completed at the earliest possible date, and so avoid possible complications from events elsewhere beyond our control, and impossible to predict.